Editors Note: These devotionals are part of a book called '40 days of Jamming with Joy in Jesus' based on the Book of Philippians that the Lord Jesus helped me write through the years. As applicable these devotionals could be updated!

SCRIPTURE:
“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:12-13)

EXPOSITION:

Observations:
I was reminded that the ‘therefore’ is in response to what I learned in yesterday’s devotional time on the topic N.A.M.E.

There is a cause-effect relationship I saw here because of the verses from Philippians 2:9-11.

Because of the power of the NAME OF JESUS, the Philippians were given a major command:
Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Observation/Interpretation:
Five words stood out from this command.
1. Continue
2. Work
3. Salvation
4. Fear
5. Trembling

I asked myself what does it mean to "continue"?
What came to my mind is a non-stop action. It should not be a one time thing but perpetual.

According to Microsoft Word’s thesaurus, “continue” can also mean to carry on, remain, resume, go on, persist, keep on, prolong, and maintain. This is how we are asked to work.

I asked myself what does it mean to "work"?
What came to my mind is a non-stop action again. It should not be limited to a particular day but always.

According to Microsoft Word’s thesaurus, “work” can also mean to labor, act, toil, and succeed to name a few. This is how we are to approach Salvation.

I asked myself what does Salvation mean?
What came to my mind is ‘being saved from our sins and having Eternal Life’ because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross of Calvary when we acknowledge, believe, and confess Jesus as Lord. It also means living life in such a way to show that I have been saved.

According to Microsoft Word’s thesaurus, “Salvation” can also mean deliverance, rescue, escape, and recovery.

As I looked at these definitions, it seems though that this command emphasizes ‘works based Salvation' on the surface but it does not.

I learned the danger of studying Scripture out of it’s context and that is exactly what would happen if someone wanted to teach ‘works based Salvation’ as opposed to ‘Salvation by grace’.

For they would take a person to this particular verse and say, “look v.12 says it right here to “Continue to work out your Salvation with fear and trembling.”
Then they would say, “It’s not me speaking but right here in the Bible so you have to work for your Salvation otherwise you won’t be saved.”

In other words, they would say to attain as many brownie points as possible to be accepted by the Lord when you die. They could go further and say that if your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds than you have worked out your Salvation the correct way and be promoted to Heaven.

I ASK YOU NOW:
I ask you now dear friend what is your type of Salvation?
Dear friend, there is only one type of Salvation and that is the Salvation given to us by Jesus Christ through grace by faith. It is the 'saved by grace' kind and the only kind the Lord Jesus honors. Jesus died for you and me to set us free so we do not have to earn our way to Heaven based on the things we do. In other words, we do not attain Salvation by all the good things we have done or will do but we do good because of the fruit of our Salvation. Good works are the evidence of our Salvation and not the means of our Salvation.

The Bible reminds us that all the good works we think we are doing on our own are still filthy rags to the Lord without us acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord.

God in His Holiness cannot allow us to enter into His presence even if we have lived a good life for 99.99% of the time and only messed up a miniscule % because that miniscule % is still sin. The purity of our soul is not there anymore. It is like putting 1 drop of cyanide in pure distilled water. It is not pure anymore is it even though all the other ounces of water in there make it look pure! Looks can be deceptive!

The only way for our good works to count and be seen as pure is having us covered in the Blood of Jesus Christ and accepting His Salvation by grace through faith. The awesomeness of this Salvation is that it is God who works in us to will and act according to His good purpose. Now when we die and approach the judgment throne, God sees us pure because we are covered by the BLOOD of JESUS cleansing all of our impurities and making us pure.

For me v.12 does not emphasize “Works based Salvation” but still “Salvation by Grace”

The evidence for that is in verses 6-11 and verse 13 for me. In the previous devotional times I learned about what Jesus did for us to be saved. It is by His grace we are saved! The previous devotional times J.E.S.U.S, C.R.O.S.S, and N.A.M.E are the ones that help me to take this verse in its context.
Now based on the passage, I know it is not ‘works based Salvation but Salvation by grace’.

Since I know that I asked myself what is Paul telling the Philippians when he says, “Continue to work out your Salvation with fear and trembling”?
What came to my mind is that ‘Salvation itself is guaranteed by God’s grace for those who have received it. In other words, I do believe once saved we are always saved and John 10 details that. Since Salvation is guaranteed then ‘continue to work out’ could mean "to persist acting on.”

I asked myself what does it mean to persist acting on my Salvation?
Salvation means saved from sin! Since I am saved from sin, my actions should reflect that. This is where working out comes with fear and trembling lest I go back to sin. I need to also remember no matter what is happening in my life that I am saved by the Lord. When I do mess up by doing wrong and feel yucky inside, I need to persist acting on the Salvation the Lord Jesus has given me by His grace if I have accepted Christ's free gift and continue in the work out!

Rather than wallowing in my sin and thinking I am only human bound to do wrong because I am a “sinner saved by grace”, I need to have the mentality that I am a “saint reflecting His grace” because of what Jesus did for me and start acting that way taking His help.

Many times as Christians, we throw ourselves back into defeat by telling ourselves that we are only human bound to do wrong. I do believe the Lord has provided us a way to act as saints and reflect His grace in people’s lives.
It won’t be because we do it on our own, but it will be because of our reverent fear of the Lord and His working in our lives. This is evidenced by v.13
“for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

In closing dear friend, I am so excited for all that I learned in today’s devotional time as I sought the Lord. You know verse 12 always seemed to trouble me but after praying and studying it in its context I am excited. I am excited because I know no amount of good works I do will save me but it is because of receiving Jesus Christ as my Lord and Personal Savior that I am saved by His grace.

If that were not the case then what all religions preach will give people access to the Lord. In all religions except in Christianity, people try to reach God by the good works they feel they are doing but in Christianity, God reached out to man to save man.

May you know that you can receive the Lord’s Salvation as you seek after Him for the Word of the Lord says that if we seek the Lord and search for Him with our whole heart, He will be found. In that same chapter of Jeremiah 29 we are reminded that the Lord knows the plans He has for us and they are plans for good and not for evil, to give us a future and a hope!

"Seek After Lord Valiantly And Take In Omnipotent Newness!" (S.A.L.V.A.T.I.O.N)/”What is your type of Salvation?”

PRAYER:
Dear Jesus, thank you for your Salvation by grace. Help us Oh Lord to live our lives for you because of what you have done for us. We want to do right not to earn Salvation, for you alone have already given it to us as a gift, but we want to do right because we love you and for all that you mean to us. We want more love, more power, and more of you in our lives. We seek you with our whole heart. We worship you with all our mind, strength, and heart. Thank you for opening your Word to me Oh Lord. I pray Oh Lord that as I share this with others you will let them take what you would have them take and that it can impact their lives as it has mine. I give myself to you Jesus and I pray they won’t just be words but actions. Whatever your will is in my life, give me the willingness and strength to bear it. Help me to take your Word seriously and follow it. Thank you Jesus for your help and for hearing my prayer! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

If you want to acknowledge the Name of Jesus and bow down to the Lord of all, make this your prayer giving your life over to Christ, if you already have not! Jesus loves you so much and wants you to come to Him! He will take care of you, guiding you and leading you!

Dear Jesus, I love you. Thank you for loving me so much and thank you for choosing the cross to die for me. You became the Son of Man and lived here on earth. Then you humbled yourself and became obedient to death-even death on the cross. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. You died on the cross so that I can be covered in your blood and cleansed by your blood as I acknowledge that I need you and cannot enter Heaven without you being my pathway. So, Jesus I confess all my sins to you and all the ways I have tried to get into Heaven when you already provided the means and the Way. Thank you for all that you have done for me. The cross is the place, a wonderful place where accused and condemned find mercy and grace. Thank you Jesus, it is at the cross where the wrongs we have done and the wrongs done to us were nailed at the cross. Thank you Jesus, at the cross you died for our sins and at the cross you gave your life for us. I thank you for that and thank you for coming back to life to save us. Thank you Jesus for being there for me! Thank you for loving me. I love you Jesus! Please take me as I am and make my life into something that you will be proud of. I surrender my life to you and need your help to live for you. I am forever grateful for what you have done for me and I can never repay you. I want to live for you and need your help. Please come into my heart and make my heart your home. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life as you help me! Thank you Jesus! I thank you Jesus for saving me! Thank you for hearing my prayer and answering me. Whatever your will please give me the willingness and strength to bear it. Thank you Jesus! I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior! In Your Name I Pray precious Jesus! Amen!

Friend, if you have prayed this prayer and meant it in your heart, you are a new creation in Christ and all old things are passed away and everything has become new! You may feel something or may not but don’t base it on feelings but base your new life in Christ on the promises of our Savior who will never leave you nor forsake you! Amen!

Spend time in His word and let the Lord speak to you! Start out in the Gospel of John! You can also check out the Gospel of Mark which are the devotionals I have been going through. Learn from Jesus through study and prayer. Also find yourself a church fellowship and a college fellowship you can be part of where you can be part of a community of believers to supplement your own walk with the Lord. Let it be a Bible-believing and Bible-breathing church! Believe in Bible Live Eternally!

Feel free to email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com if you want to meet to study the Bible, pray with, talk about Spiritual issues or whatever is on your mind! My number is 412-720-4579

"This is my work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)

Love in Christ,
Ramesh

Express Your View

SEPTEMBER 2005

MARK: CHAPTER 1

How seriously do you T.E.S.T.I.F.Y to prophecy? (Sept 01, 05)

Who do you P.O.I.N.T to? (Sept 02, 05)

"Will you take a S.T.A.N.D?" (Sept 03, 05)

How is your loving P.R.A.I.S.E? (Sept 06, 05)

"How do you handle T.E.M.P.T.A.T.I.O.N?" (Sept 07, 05)

"Who controls your T.I.M.E?" (Sept 08, 05)

"What kind of P.R.O.F.E.S.S.I.O.N are you in?" (Sept 09, 05)